Seth Perlman/Associated Press reported In 1999, Barack Obama was faced with a difficult vote in the Illinois legislature ??? to support a bill that would let some juveniles be tried as adults, a position that risked drawing fire from African-Americans, or to oppose it, possibly undermining his image as a tough-on-crime moderate. In the end he voted "present"; to cover his political butt, NOT SOMETHING A LEADER WOULD DO. It shows his manipulation of a system he says is broken., perhaps if he voted his true beliefs the system might work. By avoiding the tough calls and not taking a stance by voting "present" he just shows he cares more about politics than real change.



Barack Obama leaving the Illinois State Senate in 2004.
Related
The Long Run: In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd (July 30, 2007)
Times Topics: Barack Obama
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Illinois Senate

Barack Obama being sworn in as a Democratic state senator in Illinois in 1997. He was first elected in 1996 and left in 2004.

In the end, Mr. Obama chose neither to vote for nor against the bill. He voted ???present,??? effectively sidestepping the issue, an option he invoked nearly 130 times as a state senator.